


The Way of the Maiden

by TheCourtofTalons



Category: RWBY, The Mandalorian (TV)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 15:08:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29636502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCourtofTalons/pseuds/TheCourtofTalons
Summary: The world of Remnant is notable for warriors such as Huntsmen and Huntresses. However, they pale in comparison to the Mandalorians, groups of mysterious warriors across Remnant. This is the story of one particular Mandalorian, and how a chance encounter with a child leads to the adventure of a lifetime.
Comments: 12
Kudos: 8





	1. The Mandalorian

_Many years ago, the four kingdoms of Remnant were engaged in a global conflict. A conflict that was born from ignorance, greed, and oppression. The Great War._

_Many historians don't know who fired the first shot. All they knew was that the kingdoms of Mantle and Mistral had formed an alliance that sought to make the kingdoms of Vale and Vacuo see their...point of view._

_The war involved each kingdom, even control of small islands were fought over by the feuding kingdoms. Their main goal was domination over the enemy forces. However, there was one particular continent that both sides knew would make an essential ally or a powerful foe: Mandalore._

_The continent of Mandalore was home to two things: the greatest warriors the world had ever seen and the strongest metal known to Humans and Faunus: Beskar._

_At the time, the Mandalorians were neutral in the war, unaffected by the petty squabbles that sparked the war in the first place. They instead sought to govern themselves. Their involvement, however, began with a foolish attack led by Mantle. The ruler of Mandalore, Tarre Vizla, led his people to victory against the kingdom of Mantle and formed an alliance with the King of Vale._

_The alliance, however, could not save the continent. The constant fighting and invasions from Mistral and Mantle turned two-thirds of the continent to a desolate wasteland and killed the great Mand'alor. Forced to abandon the once great land, the Mandalorian clans continued to fight their common enemy. With the help of the King of Vale, the Mandalorians were victorious. Many Mandalorians chose to abandon any attempt to reclaim their once glorious land, instead choosing to live among each kingdom, as a sign they were everywhere, always watching. Mandalore later became known as Menagerie and became a home to hundreds of Faunus._

_The Mandalorian tribes continue to live among the people of Vale, Mistral, Vacuo, and the renamed kingdom of Atlas, inadvertently dividing the Mandalorians in custom and religion._

_This is the story of one particular Mandalorian and his adventures across Remnant._

* * *

"Please, we're only trying to pass through!"

"You animals passed through the wrong town!"

"There's no need for-!"

A bullet to the head prevented the young deer Faunus from continuing his attempt to reason with the attackers.

A group of Faunus refugees had been traveling across the kingdom of Vale for three days, trying to get to a town by the ocean. Their goal was to make a new home for themselves in Menagerie. Their plans had just been changed by a human supremacist group, hunting any Faunus that set foot near their home. With their leader gone, the rest of the refugees would need a new plan. Fortunately, that plan was put in motion the moment the deer Faunus hit the ground.

"Move up!" the lead human called to his allies. Moving towards the large truck, the humans prepared to exterminate the rest of the intruders. As two humans prepared to fire, a small metal sphere fell at their feet. Which exploded before they had any time to process what happened.

A cloud of dirt and smoke resulted from the explosion, and the lead human could make out a figure standing in the middle of the cloud. His instincts kicked in as he fired his pistol, with his comrades following his lead. However, he stopped as he heard the sound of metal hitting metal. The cloud disappeared to reveal a man in scratched dark brown armor with a white pauldron on his right shoulder. The one detail that caught everyone's attention was the silver helmet with a black 'T' visor.

"Is that a-?"

The woman was cut off as a red bolt exited the armored one's pistol and made contact with her face. Regaining his attention, the leader fired again. Only to make contact with thin air. His new target had disappeared.

"Where'd he go?" he asked.

A man opened his mouth to answer, but was cut off by a wire wrapping around his throat. He felt a force pull him backwards, his back making contact with a pointed object. His fellow humans fired again, each shot hitting their friend and the armored one disappearing again.

"Forget the Faunus! Find the Mandalorian!"

Their search was cut short as the Mandalorian reappeared in the middle of the humans. He immediately swung a knife at a short man, which made contact with his throat. Two more men sent fists at the Mandalorian, which he blocked easily. The leader took cover behind a tree, watching the Mandalorian beat his friends with ease.

He began to panic, overwhelmed by the sudden turn in events. He and his group were used to killing defenseless Faunus, even Faunus with Auras. The Mandalorian was something completely different. Even if he didn't have an Aura, the Mandalorian could block any attack with his Beskar armor. The human didn't want to admit it, but it was true: this could be his last day on Remnant.

His attention shifted to a young girl with rabbit ears, who was too focused on the fight to notice the danger lurking behind the tree. Seeing a chance to fight for something he believed in, the leader charged towards the girl and yelled.

"Mandalorian!" a Faunus yelled.

Turning around, the Mandalorian could see the Faunus tossing him a rifle and pointing to the girl and her attacker. Understanding the situation, the Mandalorian quickly aimed and fired the rifle.

His target let out a scream as a burst of energy hit his chest and turned his body into dust.

The Faunus behind the truck leaned out of hiding to see the Mandalorian standing over the defeated humans. They began to cheer and thank the Mandalorian for his services.

"Impressive work, Mandalorian." a girl with cat ears complimented the group's savior. "I don't know what we would have done without you."

"It wouldn't turn out well." he replied. "Best not to dwell on it." His attention turned to the dead Faunus on the ground. "I'm sorry about your friend."

"He'll be missed." she replied while her ears flattened.

"Gabriella, look!"

The Faunus known as 'Gabriella' turned to see a town with a port in the distance. "We made it." she said with a smile.

"Then this is where we part ways." the Mandalorian said with an extended hand. "Good luck in Menagerie."

Gabriella shook his hand and smiled. "Thanks. And sorry again about your weapon."

The young Faunus was referring to how the refugees had met the Mandalorian. One of the children had stolen one of his weapons while he was staying at an inn: a modified rifle with experimental Dust from Atlas. He had hoped to sell it once the group had reached Menagerie. It didn't take long for the Mandalorian to find the group and demand his weapon back. Gabriella offered to return it in exchange for an escort to the ocean town, which he agreed to.

As the Mandalorian watched the Faunus depart, a soft beep came from his gauntlet. Pressing a button, the Mandalorian could see a new message sent to him.

" _I have a job for you, one that can be useful for the both of us. You know where to find me._ "

The Mandalorian disappeared once again.

* * *

"Alright, take your pick."

Two men were sitting in a bar, with the one on the left showing the other three pictures on his Scroll. The one on the right was looking at each one.

"Are these seriously all you have?" the first man asked. "These rewards are cheap."

"Take them or leave them." the second said, taking a sip of his drink. "Or...you could try that special job I told you about."

"Yeah...no." he said. "I don't wanna give you any 'grief', but I'm not interested."

The first man rolled his eyes and sighed, annoyed not only about how his hunter had turned down his special assignment, but also the pun in his sentence. "Think about the reward!" he remarked. "It'll make you a legend among these people!"

Everyone turned around at the man, upset by what he said.

"What are you lookin' at?" he asked. The patrons all went back to their business. He continued talking to the hunter.

"Look, I know about the reward." the bounty hunter said. "But you don't go around offering that unless this is big. And I just joined the Guild, so I'll take my chances with...him." The hunter pointed to a man with a reward of 100 Lien.

"Alright, fine." the man said with a sigh. The young hunter left the table but had one last thing to say.

"Come on, no need for the 'grief'." he remarked with a laugh.

"Good God, don't you ever get tired of those puns?" the man asked as he buried his face in his hands. After the bounty hunter had left, the man looked at his Scroll, realizing that he made a point. The bounties he was offering weren't that good. Not just for the hunters, but for himself. Greef Karga knew he had to step up his game to earn a good finders fee, which is how he heard about his "special job." The man who just left was the third person who turned him down, so it wasn't going great. Fortunately, Karga knew someone who might be interested. He took out his Scroll and sent a quick message to another bounty hunter.

" _I have a job for you, one that can be useful for the both of us. You know where to find me._ "

Karga sent the message and took another sip of his drink.

"You called?"

Karga spit out his drink and coughed, completely caught off guard by the armored warrior who **literally** came out of nowhere.

"Son of a-!" Karga choked out. Catching his breath, he looked at his associate. "Jeez, Mando! I thought I told you **not** to sneak up on me like that!"

"And I thought I told you that's how I work." the Mandalorian replied as he took a seat. "What do you have?"

Karga cleared his throat as he pulled out his Scroll. "Unfortunately, nothing much." he replied as he showed the pictures of the bounties he knew about. The Mandalorian didn't like what he saw.

"These will barely afford new Dust." he pointed out.

"I know, Mando." Karga agreed. "Which is why I have a special job for you."

"Let's see it." the Mandalorian demanded.

"Uh, actually, I don't have any details on the target. The client wants to meet with you in person. He'll have all the details on your target, desired status, and reward." Karga said with a smile.

"...Where am I meeting him?" the Mandalorian asked.

Karga pulled up a picture of a large building. The _Glass Unicorn_ , a hotel located in Atlas.

"You'll also need this." Karga slid a card with a bar code to the Mandalorian. Taking it, the bounty hunter took a moment to consider going. He definitely didn't want to go to Atlas of all places, but Karga seemed interested in this job. Especially with the reward. And it seemed to be the best option out of the other jobs.

"I'll go." the Mandalorian said.

"Good luck." Karga said as he looked at his Scroll. "How soon can you-?" He looked up to see the Mandalorian was gone.

"...Alright then."

* * *

The Mandalorian was standing outside the _Glass Unicorn_. He heard the gasps of people shocked by his sudden appearance and saw them look in awe at his armor. He paid no attention to them as he pressed a button on his left gauntlet. A blue screen with a picture of him popped up. Next to the picture was a white bar, with part of it showing orange. The Mandalorian's Aura levels were low.

" _Have to use it sparingly._ " he thought to himself. The bounty hunter's Semblance was a powerful one, the ability to teleport to any place he laid his eyes on was no easy feat. However, it exhausted a lot of Aura. Fortunately, his armor would give him plenty of protection, for the time being. Deactivating the picture, he went inside the hotel.

As he walked to the front desk, the Mandalorian could see that this place was like any other in Atlas. People getting drunk, expensive furniture and dishes. The only thing that stood out were the glass statues of Grimm.

A brown haired woman with circles under her green eyes was at the front desk. Her face had a stoic look on it, as if she didn't seem to care about anything going on around her. Not about the patrons, the Huntsman talking to a few people, and certainly not the Mandalorian who had captured everyone's attention.

"Can I help you?" she asked the bounty hunter.

His only response was showing her the card that Karga gave to him. Using her Scroll to scan the bar code, the Scroll gave off a soft beep.

"Room 467." she said. "He's waiting for-"

***BOOM***

An soft explosion caught both of them off guard, as the pair quickly turned their eyes to a cloud of steam on one of the walkways. The Mandalorian drew his pistol and activated a thermal sensor in his helmet. He could make out two people on the ground and another standing above them. It seemed that person had created the cloud and knocked the other two off their feet.

"Put it down." the woman said to the Mandalorian. "I'll take care of it."

Lowering his pistol, the Mandalorian saw the steam cloud disappear. In its place was a black haired girl in white clothes standing over two other girls. She was panting and had a look of anger on her face. This look suddenly changed to fear as the woman grabbed her arm and dragged her downstairs, behind the front desk and into a separate room.

Normally, the bounty hunter would pay attention to the task at hand, forgetting about the outburst. However, a scream of pain from the child made him stay in place. His helmet not only had visual enhancements, but audio ones as well. He could see and hear everything going on in the separate room. What he observed wasn't very pleasant.

"Now, that wasn't very ladylike, was it?" the woman sarcastically asked the girl, who was screaming in pain. The Mandalorian could see the woman pressing a button in her hand while the girl was screaming. "I suggest you remember your place." she said, taking her hand off the button. Only to quickly press it again with another cold remark. "SAY IT!"

This time, the girl spoke. "...Without you...I am nothing."

The Mandalorian slowly walked to the door, and prepared to open it. But he stopped himself, remembering the mission at hand. So he instead walked to an elevator and his thoughts drifted to a similar situation.

* * *

**Years ago**

_"Mom!"_

_A dark haired woman looked up from a set of dishes to a young boy wearing a red hood on the stairs._

_"Yes, dear?"_

_"Is Ikki home yet?"_

_"Not yet, but she should be here any-"_

_The sound of a door opening caught the attention of the woman and her son. On the other side was a teenage girl with dark brown hair and blue eyes. One of which had a large black circle around it, along with a bloody nose._

_"Oh, not again!" the woman yelled as she rushed over to the teenager. "Honey, sit down. Din, get some Ice Dust from the counter."_

_The boy quickly did as he was told, rushing to the counter and grabbing the Dust just as the teenager sat down. She placed the crystal on her eye and smiled at the little boy._

_"Thanks, buddy." Ikki patted her little helper on the head. The woman got some paper towel and rubbed her daughter's face over and over again. "Mom, it's not as bad as it looks." she said._

_"A black eye says otherwise, Ikki." she replied. "What happened this time?"_

_"Let's just say the old prick finally got smart."_

_" **Language**." her mother said as she pointed to Ikki's younger brother._

_"Sorry." Ikki said. "Could I have some more ice?"_

_"Of course, sweetheart." The woman ran upstairs to find more Dust for her daughter. While she was gone, the boy started to cry._

_"Hey, it's okay, Din." she said as she hugged her brother._

_"I'm sorry, Ikki. I was just trying to help."_

_Young Din Djarin was referring to a problem his sister had with a certain piece of "jewelry" around her neck. Ikki worked as a maid under a wealthy family who believed in...strict discipline for any mistake she made. So, Ikki was forced to wear a shock collar disguised as jewelry. Last week, Din suggested she turn it off. Ikki laughed at her brother's blissful ignorance at first, but she took a closer look at the collar. There was indeed a way to make it look like the collar worked, but not shock the wearer. And thanks to her aptitude and curiosity in mechanics, she was able to do so in only a few hours. But now, her superiors learned the truth._

_"It's not your fault, buddy. And you really **did** help me." she said with a smile. "Now listen. Tomorrow, when I go back to Atlas, the Marigolds are going to give me something...similar to my collar. And then, we can outsmart them together. And sooner or later, it'll be 'goodbye Mantle' and 'hello Vale.' Just a little more time and money." she said with a big smile. Her brother had dried his tears and smiled back at his older sister. Despite the hand she was given in life, Ikki never lost her optimism._

_And Din Djarin loved her for that._

* * *

**Present day**

The Mandalorian quickly regained his focus as the elevator came to the fourth floor. Walking down the hall, he stopped at room 467 and knocked on the door.

"Enter." a male voice ordered.

The bounty hunter opened the door and was greeted by four Atlesian Knight-130s, whose robotic visors were glued on their new guest.

"Ah, there you are." the voice said. The Mandalorian turned to see a man with black hair and mustache sitting at a table. He was wearing a yellow sweater under a lab coat. It seems this was the client. "Greef Karga told me you were coming. And in impressive time, I must say." he observed looking at a pocket-watch.

"...What else did he say?" the Mandalorian asked.

"That you were one of the best in the business. That you always get your man, and so on. He also said-"

A loud screech cut the client off as a computer next to him activated. The Mandalorian quickly pulled out his pistol and rifle and pointed one at the client and the other at the robots. Who in turn, activated turrets on their arms.

"FREEZE!"

"DROP YOUR WEAPONS!"

The Mandalorian didn't comply. The client was unfazed by the weapon in his face.

"I apologize." the client said. "My partner has to make an...unorthodox appearance. He can see and hear us, but don't worry. Nobody else is listening. Please, lower your weapons."

"Tell your droids to stand down." the bounty hunter ordered.

"YOU ARE OUTNUMBERED." one robot said.

"I like these odds."

The client chuckled hearing this and leaned forward. "Karga also told me you were expensive. **Very** expensive." he said as turned to the robots and waved his hand. A ring on his finger gave off a blue light and the knights deactivated their weapons. "Have a seat."

The Mandalorian slowly lowered his weapons and sat down. As he did, the client took out a briefcase and opened it, with the top blocking the Mandalorian's view of the contents. The client moved his hand towards the Mandalorian and lifted it, revealing an ingot of metal. A very **particular** metal.

"Beskar?"

" **Pure** Beskar. It's real, I assure you."

The Mandalorian picked up the metal. Taking off one of his gloves, he felt every detail of it. He once had the honor to hold a piece of Beskar, and he knew the metal before him was the real deal. The one thing that stood out was the Atlas symbol, branded into the side.

"Atlas said they used it all for weapons and ships." the Mandalorian pointed out, remembering a story of how Beskar could only be found in certain Huntsman and Huntress weapons like a spear or arrow.

"That's the public story." the client claimed. "Atlas has been saving Beskar like this for...special projects. And as you can see..." he moved the briefcase to reveal more ingots like the one the bounty hunter was holding. "...I have quite the amount of Beskar waiting upon delivery of the asset."

" _Alive_." a modulated voice from the computer said.

"Yes, alive." the client confirmed. "Understand that bringing her in dead will result in no reward."

"Her?"

The computer suddenly produced an image of a woman in her early 30s with a name at the bottom: _Lila Birch_. Last known location: _Vale_.

"I understand bounty hunters usually work with just the face, name, and location." the client continued. "However, the asset has proven rather elusive, which is why you'll need this." he handed the Mandalorian a small device with an antenna. He recognized it immediately: a tracking fob.

"One last thing." the client slid a card to the Mandalorian. The black card had a gold 'W' with a phone number. "Contact me once you have the asset."

Djarin stood up and held out the metal to the client.

"Keep it." he said. "The rest will be here when you return."

The Mandalorian left the room, looking over the piece of metal in his hand, amazed at how there was still Beskar like this on Remnant. Activating his gauntlet again, Djarin saw that his Aura had recharged long enough to reach the yellow zone.

" _I can make a trip back to-_ "

He abandoned his thoughts as he could make out a figure on the other side of the holographic screen. Deactivating it caused the Mandalorian to see the young girl from before, the servant who was punished for the explosion. She was scrubbing the floor, oblivious to the bounty hunter's presence.

Djarin walked closer to the elevator, but didn't keep his eyes off the girl. He stopped when he saw a tear fall to the ground. She continued to scrub until her brush hit his foot.

"You're in the way." she said, the feet not moving. She looked up to tell him again, but her jaw dropped seeing the Mandalorian. He was having a good look at her jewelry. Kneeling down to her level, Djarin looked at the yellow stone. Turning it around, he began to examine the circuitry. After about a minute, he let it go.

"It won't hurt you anymore." he said. "Fake a reaction when she activates it again." With that, he went into the elevator. The girl looked at her jewel.

* * *

The Mandalorian was walking on a dirt path holding his ingot. He stopped in front of a wall with two other Mandalorians standing guard. One red armored male and one blue armored female. Nodding at their fellow Mandalorian, the guards let him pass. The bounty hunter made his way into the small village, watching masked children run and play while older Mandalorians were standing and talking to each other. He made his way into a certain house with a skull on it. The skull was the signet of this Mandalorian tribe, the Children of the Watch. When they created their village, the Mandalorian settlers faced a legendary Grimm with distorted arms fused to a horse. Many Huntsman and Huntresses had tried to slay the beast. None had succeeded. That was, until a team of Mandalorians killed it and took the horse and humanoid skulls as a trophy. The people of Mistral called the Grimm the Nucklelavee. The Mandalorians identified it as the Mythosaur.

The bounty hunter entered the house to see a female Mandalorian hammering a piece of metal at a furnace. She left her work when she saw a Mandalorian kneeling in front of her.

Djarin placed the ingot on the table. She removed her glove and examined the metal.

"This was gathered in the Great War." the Armorer observed. "It is good it is back with the tribe."

"Yes." the Mandalorian replied.

"A pauldron would be in order. Has your signet been revealed?"

"Not yet."

"Soon." she reassured him.

The Children of the Watch were a tribe unlike other Mandalorian clans. They chose to wear a symbol of notable Grimm kills on their armor rather than a shared symbol. This was the ancient Way of the Mandalore, one that the Children of the Watch followed to their last dying breath.

The armorer had forged a pauldron for Djarin. His Aura had recharged significantly. Once he left the village, he was ready. His hunt had officially begun. 


	2. The Hunt

Before going to Vale, Djarin used his Semblance to travel to Atlas to make an important pickup. He appeared in front of a large hanger door and was greeted by one of the mechanics. "Is it ready?" he asked calmly.

"I just put on the finishing touches." the mechanic replied as she led her customer to a large gray ship. The _Razor Crest_ , a former Atlesian airship that the Mandalorian had purchased from that same mechanic. He normally travelled Remnant via his Semblance, but Djarin would need his ship to carry his target. The Mandalorian's Semblance (which he called 'Gone Without a Trace') **could** teleport one other person, but this woman would be difficult to capture. Fighting her may take a lot of his Aura.

Going inside to examine the mechanic's work, Djarin's first stop was the cockpit. He noticed the targeting system had been upgraded, all his missiles and bullets had been reloaded, and the steering had been replaced from one handlebar to a kind of steering wheel that could move the ship in any direction. Djarin pressed a button on the wall to reveal a storage area and a wall of about seven guns, a collection of pistols and rifles.

"Well?" the mechanic called out. "What do you say?"

"You went all out this time." Djarin complimented while handing her a few Lien. "You certainly earned your fee."

" **More** than my fee." she replied while holding out her hand. "You know how long it took me to install the new ventilation system?"

"I didn't ask for a new one."

"Well, it's there now."

"..."

The mechanic put her hand down in defeat as the Mandalorian walked back inside the ship to his seat with the mechanic following him. "So where are you going now?" she asked.

"Vale." Djarin replied.

"Well, the new fuel tank will get you there with half a tank left. But if you destroy this thing in the next two days, you might as well take it to another mechanic."

"Peli, you're a wonderful human being." Djarin replied with sarcasm.

"Yeah, yeah." Peli said as she left the ship. As soon as she opened the hanger door, the _Razor Crest_ made its way to Vale.

* * *

About an hour and a half later, Djarin heard a soft beeping noise. Looking at the ship's computers, he couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. But he could still hear the beeping. " _Don't tell me Peli broke the computers_." he prayed. However, Djarin realized the sound was coming from his armor. Looking at his belt, he could see a red light flashing. He pulled out the tracking fob the client had given him, which was flashing and beeping. The target was close by.

Djarin landed in a clearing in a forest, deciding to travel by foot the rest of the way. The tracking fob began to beep louder as he left the woods and came into a clearing. He took out his rifle and looked into the scope. All he could see was a valley that led to a large mountain.

A low growl from behind made Djarin lower his rifle and stand absolutely still. His instincts kicked in as he heard a snarl, stabbing the end of his rifle as a Beowolf was inches from his face. Pressing a button on the side, Djarin watched as the Grimm spasmed from a jolt of electricity that ran through its body. The evaporated dust revealed three other Beowolves circling him.

Djarin hit the ground as one on his left pounced, the Grimm hitting another and tackling it to the ground. Djarin quickly aimed his rifle at the third, but was too late to fire as the Beowolf sunk its jaw into his leg. A jet of flame from Djarin's arm caused it to let go and howl in pain. Djarin took the opportunity to shoot it in the face and watch it turn to dust.

His attention focused on the other two as they began to fight each other, the first angered at the others' previous tackle. Djarin quickly reloaded his rifle with a cartridge on his sash and prepared to fire.

Only to be beaten by two darts that sunk into their necks.

As the Grimm fell, Djarin saw an old man with a gray beard and a cap slowly walk out of the woods. "Thank you." Djarin called out.

"You're quite welcome." the old man replied with a smile. "Care to lend a hand?"

* * *

The old man led Djarin to a small cabin in the woods. He sat down on the stairs to rest as the Mandalorian was dragging one of the unconscious Grimm by a rope to a large cage. "You sure you need this?" Djarin called out as he approached the cage.

"Absolutely." the old man replied. "Just press that button once you're done." After Djarin left the cage, he pressed a button that activated a wall of Hard-Light Dust, trapping the Grimm. Turning around to see the old man walk into his cabin, the Mandalorian followed him. He could see a workbench with tools and multiple blueprints on the floor. Djarin picked up one that showed some kind of bike without any wheels. The blueprint had the Atlesian symbol on the top left corner.

"You're Atlesian?" Djarin asked.

"Yep." the old man replied as he sat down next to the Mandalorian with an extended hand. "You can call me Pietro."

"Call me 'Mando'." he said as he shook hands. He looked out the window to see a fenced area. Not quite the place for an engineering project. "Are you...working out here?"

"Not on that." Pietro replied, tapping the blueprint. "This is more of a pet project."

"Does it involve that Grimm?"

"It does, actually. You might think I'm crazy, but I'm studying different types of Grimm."

"Doesn't sound crazy."

"Well, I'm also...trying to tame them."

"..."

" **That** was one of the reactions I expected." Pietro replied as he took a folder out from his desk. "But listen; Huntsmen and Huntresses have been around for years, doing a great job at keeping our world safe. But the Grimm don't seem to go away, no matter how many we kill. I've been working on a theory that the only way to stop them **permanently** is to control them, make them leave us alone."

Djarin had to admit, he was slightly interested in Pietro's theory. But this kind of work was dangerous. "And how do we exactly...control them?" he asked.

"Well...that's why I'm out here." Pietro replied. "I need first-hand experience with this. It's a trial by fire, so that's why I'm out here alone. Bringing in more people could risk in someone getting hurt...God forbid dying."

"You're being cautious, that's true. But this could be all for nothing."

"Well...I'm not the only one who had a similar idea." Pietro held out the folder to Djarin. He opened it to see pictures and notes of Grimm, a research project led by one Doctor Merlot of Vale. "Now mind you, I don't share Merlot's **exact** methods. The man wasn't mentally well, and his methods were...extreme. You know he was responsible for what happened to Mountain Glenn?"

Djarin had heard about Mountain Glenn; an attempt to expand the city of Vale that had disastrous results. The city was flooded with Grimm, hardly any survivors. "He led Grimm to the city." Djarin realized.

"That's right." Pietro replied with a saddened look on his face. "He had a false belief that we could use Grimm as weapons for ourselves. I want to force them as far away from civilization as possible."

"A decent idea...considering. But one city fell because of this, it could happen again."

"Which is why I have the one Grimm." Pietro pointed to the Beowolf in the cage. "At the first sight of trouble, I'm throwing all this away and going back to what I do best. Now, what about you? You a bounty hunter?"

"I am." Djarin replied as he took out the tracking fob and showed it to Pietro. "My target should be somewhere near a mountain."

"Is your target a criminal?"

"Possibly."

"You know...I actually saw a group of people heading towards that mountain." Pietro pointed to the mountain outside his window. "That was a few days ago, and they haven't come back since. If that fob is working, that could mean they're camping up there."

"Then that's where I'm going." said Djarin. Before he could open the door, Pietro grabbed his arm.

"Now hold on. That mountain isn't the best place to hike. I've seen people die trying to climb up it."

"You said those people were camping up there."

"Those were Huntsmen and Huntresses. They came to me for help when one of them hurt her leg. After I fixed her up, they **still** went back there. It's almost as if they didn't want to be found."

"Then I'll take my ship up there."

"And let them see you?"

Djarin knew Pietro had a point. Hiking and flying seemed like a bad idea. And his Semblance wouldn't take him to their camp. It probably couldn't get him far up the mountain. "You have any other ideas?" he asked.

"I may have **one**." Pietro said as he looked out his window. Djarin followed his gaze to the Beowolf in the cage.

"You can't be serious."

* * *

The Mandalorian fell off the Beowolf for the second time. As it slowly backed away, Djarin looked to Pietro, who was pointing a rifle at the Grimm. At the moment, Djarin was trying to **ride** the Beowolf. The idea was just as crazy as it sounded, the two men agreed on that. However, if Djarin was to have the element of surprise, the Grimm was the only way to get there. Beowolves were known to climb any kind of surface, and Pietro took this opportunity as a test run. So far, it wasn't going well.

"This isn't going to work." said Djarin as he left the enclosed area.

"This is science, Mando." Pietro replied, not taking his eyes off the Grimm. "The main point of science is to try and try again."

"I'm not a scientist."

"So you're giving up that easily?"

"This is impossible. I'll just take my chances using my ship to-"

"I thought you were supposed to be a Mandalorian." Pietro quickly cut him off. "I read about your ancestors, how they fought and died to their last dying breath for whatever they set their minds to. Whether it's bounty hunting or protecting their family and home, they wouldn't give up without a fight. What about you?"

Pietro was a bold one, talking to him like this. But Djarin had surprisingly found a new determination. Pietro was right, the Mandalorians weren't quitters, not even when the odds were stacked against them. This is the Way. "Besides...third times the charm." Pietro said with a chuckle.

Getting back inside the fence, the Mandalorian slowly approached the Beowolf, which had gotten into an attack position.

Djarin fired a wire from his gauntlet and it wrapped around the Grimm's throat. It tried to run away but Djarin pulled it closer to him and jumped on its back. It was a surprisingly even surface, easy to sit down. The fur was as coarse as hair, not very easily to grip. But Djarin kept his grip strong as the Grimm tried to knock him off. Djarin suddenly remembered learning that Beowolves have a sensitive spot on its back legs. So he kicked its back leg as it let out a howl in pain. The Grimm calmed down as it moved slowly around the fence, with the Mandalorian on top of it.

Pietro lowered his rifle and clapped. Djarin had done it. Against all odds, he had managed to control a Grimm, make it a transport to the mountain. Maybe Pietro wasn't as crazy as he originally thought. And maybe Djarin had made his ancestors proud.

* * *

The next day, Djarin and Pietro dragged a cart with the Grimm in it to the foot of the mountain. It was time to find Lila Birch. Djarin opened the cage and dragged the Beowolf out.

"Mando."

Djarin turned to see Pietro holding a card with a phone number on it. "We made great progress with this one. But if it gives you any trouble, tries to hurt you in any way, call me. I'll put the whole thing to a stop."

"Of course." Djarin replied.

"And feel free to come back to my cabin when you're done. If you're injured, I can help."

"Thank you." Djarin said as he held out his hand. Pietro shook it, wished him good luck, and watched as the Grimm climbed the stone with ease.

Djarin found a path after five minutes of climbing. After pulling on the hair to make the Grimm stop, Djarin climbed off. Using the visual enhancement in his helmet, Djarin could see human footprints leading up the path. A growl caused him to turn around and see the Grimm pounce towards him.

The Mandalorian quickly dodged and took out a large knife. Stabbing it in the back, Djarin watched as the Grimm turned to dust. It seemed the Grimm was waiting for Djarin to be off guard. It couldn't kill him while he was on his back or looking at him. Instead, it watched and waited for the right time. Which had ironically led to its death. Impressed by the display of intelligence, Djarin activated his gauntlet and sent a message to Pietro.

He responded in less than a minute. " _Understood. Good luck_."

* * *

The footprints had led the Mandalorian to a campsite. The tracking fob had started to beep and flash faster. This was the right place. Lila Birch was here.

After climbing a small hill to stay out of sight, Djarin removed the scope from his rifle and examined the camp. There were three tents and the entrance to a cave behind the tents. Djarin could see five people talking to each other. Three were holding rifles and swords while the other two had different, unique weapons. One was a Faunus with horns while the others were all human.

Djarin began to strategize his attack. He could see that Lila Birch wasn't among the group, it was possible that she was inside the cave. " _The rocks._ " Djarin thought to himself as he looked above the cave at a few large rocks. " _They'll be caught off guard if I knock them down. They might take care of some of those people, and t_ _hen_ -"

The sound of metal snapped the Mandalorian out of his thoughts. Looking back to the path, his eyes were glued to some kind of...droid. It looked like the Atlesian Knight-130s the client brought with him, but it was different. It had arms and legs as thin as pipes, connected to a central chest piece. And it's head was unlike the knights. It was a long, cylinder-like shape. Not very human-like. And it's eyes were little tubes on its head.

"What the hell?" The droid had caught the attention of the five people. They all looked at it while readying their weapons.

"What do you want?" the Faunus demanded.

"NOT WHAT." a voice rang out from the droid. "WHO."

"...Who do you want to see?"

"LILA BIRCH."

"We...we don't know anyone with that name." one girl said.

"YOU ARE LYING." said the droid. "I KNOW SHE IS HERE."

The girl took out her rifle and pointed it at the droid. "Your wires must be crossed, Rusty! Get out of here."

The droid's right arm extended and took a gun off from its side. "DROP YOUR WEAPON."

The girl responded by firing a bullet at the droid. The bullet exploded on impact, but its target was unfazed. It fired at the girl, causing an explosion and knocking her backwards. Her friends returned fire, multiple Dust rounds hitting their target, but the droid continued to return fire. Djarin watched closely at the battle. It seemed he had some competition for Lila Birch. But he couldn't allow this.

The people ran away from the droid to their tents. Djarin ran up behind the droid. "Droid, stand dow-!" He didn't get to finish his command as a Fire Dust bullet knocked him to the ground. Sneaking up on it wasn't a good idea.

The droid's attention returned to the others as they pulled out automatic weapons from their tents. One ran inside the cave while the others fired at the droid. Unable to withstand the rapid bullets, the droid took cover behind the rocks. Djarin recovered and fired his rifle at the Faunus, disintegrating him. He ran to the rocks as more bullets came his way. "YOU ARE NOT ALLIED WITH THEM." the droid observed.

"Yeah, no shit!" the Mandalorian replied as he fired his pistol at the group. The red bolts made contact with their Auras. "I'm looking for Birch too. Help me and we'll share the reward."

"I AGREE TO YOUR TERMS." The droid fired two shots from his two guns at the girl. The bullet from the larger gun was Ice Dust, which froze her foot. The second was Fire Dust, which made contact with the ice as it shattered in an instant. The girl screamed in pain as she held her leg, which was now without a foot. The other two dropped their rifles and reached behind their backs. One pulled out a pair of nunchakus with spikes on one end while the other pulled out a black longsword and shield. The second stepped forward and used his shield to block each bullet, his partner not far behind.

"WE REQUIRE A NEW STRATEGY." said the droid.

The Mandalorian peaked his head out and saw the two approaching faster.

"Wait until they're distracted." he ordered as he disappeared.

The Mandalorian reappeared behind the duo and stabbed the first one with the electric end of his rifle. The sound of electricity caused his partner to turn around and swing his sword at the rifle, damaging the electric end. The droid fired at the distracted warrior, but his Aura blocked the shots.

"I'll handle the Mandalorian." the one with the nunchakus told his partner. "Turn that droid to scrap." He then swung the spiked ends at his opponent, which the Mandalorian was able to block with his gauntlets. Djarin teleported away again and reappeared to his left.

Djarin raised his rifle just in time as one of the nunchakus wrapped around the end. Djarin quickly pulled and his opponent lost balance. He was able to send a knee to his face and he fell down. Djarin stepped on his chest, but then his foot sank into the man's body. He also felt like he was standing in sand. Which, as a matter of fact, he **was**. The man had turned part of his body into sand, able to avoid the pain of the stomp. Djarin tried to pull his foot out but failed, the man was able to send a few punches to his leg before standing back up. Dropping the nunchakus, the man turned his hands into a sand hammer and ball with spikes.

"You really wanna do this?" he asked with a grin.

"I still have a job to do." Djarin replied as he raised his fists.

"Alright then."

The man sent the ball towards the Mandalorian's head, which he blocked by raising his arm and making contact with the human part of his opponent's arm. Djarin punched the man in the face, who hit him with the hammer in retaliation. The Beskar was able to absorb most of the attack, but Djarin felt like he had been hit with a slab of granite. It didn't help when the spiked ball hit him again. Before the hammer could hit him again, the Mandalorian vanished.

The sandman looked around but couldn't find his opponent. He then saw the droid pummeling his partner into the ground. He ran over to help, hitting the droid in the back and sending it back a few feet. His partner remained motionless. Before he could check for a pulse, the sandman felt a wire wrap around his arm. He turned to see the Mandalorian send a jet of flame towards him. The sandman used his Aura to protect himself from the flame and he ran to the Mandalorian. As the flame died down, the Mandalorian felt the spiked ball hit him again.

Only for it to shatter in an instant when he fell.

The sandman screamed in pain as he looked at his arm. Looking at the other one, he could see the sand hammer had turned to glass. The Mandalorian used his fire to heat the sand to turn both his arms into glass. He tried to use his Aura to relieve the pain, but it shattered once a fist made contact with his face, knocking him unconscious.

The Mandalorian turned to the the droid walking back towards him, noticing a limp. "Your leg not working?"

"I HAVE SUFFERED MINOR DAMAGE IN MY CONFLICT." the droid replied.

Before Djarin could say anything, a fast beeping noise made him turn to his belt. He pulled out the tracking fob to see that the light was flashing faster than before. "She's nearby." the Mandalorian said as he took out his pistol.

The droid took out its weapons as the top half of its body spun around twice. "I DO NOT DETECT ANY LIFE FORMS IN OUT IMMEDIATE SURROUNDINGS."

An explosion from the cave caused the duo to turn around. Facing the cave, the Mandalorian could hear the beeping picking up its pace. He suddenly saw an orange glow begin to form in the entrance. It began to glow brighter. And brighter. And brighter.

"Out of the way!" Djarin yelled as he jumped to the side. A burst of flame erupted from the cave. Djarin then saw the fire die down to reveal a blonde haired woman with amber eyes staring at the duo. The tracking fob had a steady beep and the red light was solid. "It's her!"

The droid raised its weapons and Djarin raised his pistol. Djarin then noticed the woman's eyes give off a hint of fire. It was almost as if her eyes were on fire...but they weren't burning. She raised her left hand and another burst of fire made its way to the Mandalorian, who quickly used his Semblance to teleport next to the droid. He expected another burst of fire once she raised her other hand to the duo. A gust of wind came out instead, sending them back a few feet. The clouds above her began to thunder and a lightning bolt struck in front of them, knocking them behind a few rocks. Birch picked up the longsword from her ally and flew towards the rocks. Her hunters were nowhere to be found.

"Show yourself, Mandalorian!" she screamed.

Djarin had used his Semblance to teleport himself and the droid on a little part of a hidden cliff, out of sight. But worrying about losing his cover wasn't the only thing on his mind.

"What kind of Semblance is that?" he asked, completely caught off guard by her apparent ability to control fire, wind, and even lightning at the same time.

"IT APPEARS SHE CAN SUMMON ELEMENTAL POWERS AT WILL." the droid replied. "I AM NOT DESGINED TO WITHSTAND THAT KIND OF POWER. I HAVE NO CHOICE." A small metal sphere with red lights came out of the droid's chest.

"What are you doing?" Djarin asked.

"MANUFACTURER'S PROTOCOL DICTATES I CANNOT BE CAPTURED. I AM PREPARED TO SELF-DESTRUCT."

"What?! No, do **not** self-destruct!"

The ground beneath them began to rise. As it reached the top, Lila grabbed the Mandalorian by his throat and the droid by the lower part of its head.

"You murdered my friends!" she said to the Mandalorian. The duo responded with multiple blasts and Dust bullets to Lila's chest, but her Aura blocked out the attacks. She then threw the two behind her, and they landed on the ground and slid a few feet away.

Djarin fired again, but Lila flew into the air and summoned another bolt of lightning. The Mandalorian hit a rock wall and fell to the ground. Lila ran up to him and grabbed him by the throat. She began to tighten her grip, staring into his visor with her fiery eyes. She then looked down at his belt, noticing a red light and a steady noise. Grabbing it, she examined it closely, slightly loosening her grip.

"A tracking fob." she said as fire formed in her hand. The fob melted and she turned back to the Mandalorian. "You're a bounty hunter. Who hired you?" The Mandalorian responded by punching Lila in her face and gut, her Aura blocking out the pain. "Who hired you?" she asked again, tightening her grip.

Two Dust rounds to her back caused her to turn around at the droid. Letting Djarin go, she sent two more bursts of fire at the droid. The Mandalorian used this distraction to stab her leg with his knife and teleport away.

Reappearing next to the droid, Djarin watched Lila grab her leg and start to heal herself.

"I CANNOT SUFFER ANY FURTHER DAMAGE." the droid said as it opened its chest again. "I MUST BE DESTROYED."

"No, do not-!" Djarin stopped himself as he began to think. "Wait, I have an idea. Lead her to the entrance of the cave and tell her your protocol."

"AFFIRMATIVE." the droid replied as Djarin disappeared again.

Lila stood up and charged towards the retreating droid, dodging each bullet. Freezing both guns and grabbing the droid, Lila began to crush its head. "Maybe I'll learn something from you." she said.

"I DISAGREE." the droid replied, as the flashing sphere reappeared. "MANUFACTURER'S PROTOCOL FORBIDS REVEALING INFORMATION OR ALLOWING CAPTURE. I MUST BE DESTROYED."

Lila realized what was happening and created two gusts of wind to propel herself away from the droid and in front of the cave entrance. As she raised her hand to attack, a few pebbles fell in front of her. Looking up, she saw three large rocks falling, about to crush her where she stood.

"No!" she yelled as she sent a jet of flame at the largest one, destroying it. Her efforts were in vain as the smaller rocks fell on top of her.

Djarin jumped down from the cliff and began to dig. While his plan to trap her under the rocks worked, the Mandalorian needed Lila alive. Miraculously, Lila was still alive, but her Aura shattered. "Please..." she weakly said to the Mandalorian. "Please don't...take it."

The Mandalorian didn't know what Lila was talking about, but he didn't care. He dug out her hands and placed a pair of shackles on her. "Stand up." Djarin ordered.

"Please...don't." she begged again.

Djarin pulled her up and began to drag her towards the path. He was beginning to wonder how he was going to get Lila out of here. He looked at his Aura levels, it was in the red zone. He could try to teleport to the bottom of the cliff and walk to his ship. If he played his cards right, this could-

***BANG***

Djarin turned around to see the droid aiming a pistol at him. Djarin couldn't feel any pain in his body and didn't hear the bullet bounce off his armor. That was when he felt Lila fall to the ground. A red spot was on her chest. The droid had shot Lila, and without her Aura, she was going to die. "NO!" Djarin yelled as he looked at the droid. "What did you do?!"

"MY ORDERS WERE CLEAR." the droid replied. "THE TARGET MUST BE DESTROYED."

"What? No, we were supposed to bring her **alive**."

"I WAS INSTRUCTED TO TERMINATE THE TARGET."

"...By who?"

Before the droid could reply, a burst of orange light exploded from Lila's body. After remaining still long enough for Djarin to notice, the light flew into the cave.

The duo looked at each other before walking into the cave. The walk was short, as the hunters found a small clearing with sunlight coming in from the ceiling. Djarin's eyes landed on a blanket, which was glowing the same color as the light he saw. Before taking another step, a man emerged from behind a rock and fired at the Mandalorian. The bullet grazed his arm and Djarin returned fire, the red blast hitting his face. The droid approached the blanket and slightly picked it up to get a look inside.

"UNEXPECTED." it said.

"What is it?" Djarin asked.

The droid pulled the blanket and cast it aside. It revealed a young girl with black hair wearing a white shirt and gray pants. She was surrounded in an orange light. The Mandalorian immediately recognized her; it was the servant girl from the _Glass Unicorn_ , the one he helped before leaving Atlas.

"What are you doing here?" Djarin asked.

The girl backed away to the stone wall and grabbed a sword, preparing to defend herself with defiance written on her face.

"We're not going to hurt you, I just want-"

The droid raised its pistol and aimed at the girl. The defiance from the girl disappeared, it had been replaced with fear.

"Wait, we don't need to hurt her." Djarin approached closer to the droid. "I know where she lives, I'll take her back."

"PROTOCOL DICTATES I CANNOT LEAVE ANYONE HERE ALIVE." the droid said as it grabbed the girl's sword and broke the blade off. "THE CHILD MUST BE TERMINATED."

The girl dropped the broken sword and closed her eyes, tears falling down her face.

***BANG***

The girl heard something fall to the ground. Opening her eyes and feeling her chest, she saw that there was no bullet wound. And the droid was on the ground.

The Mandalorian put his pistol away and slowly extended his hand to the girl. Who smiled, slowly reached up, and took it.


	3. The Girl

The Mandalorian led the young girl out of the cave and approached the side of the cliff. Rethinking his plan to get down the mountain, he turned to see his new companion staring at each body, frozen in place.

"Try not to stare at them." Djarin suggested as the girl quickly looked up at him. "How did you get up here?"

The girl pointed at Lila's corpse. "She took me here."

Djarin figured Lila used her Semblance to fly up the mountain with her allies and the girl. So flying down wasn't an option. Looking at his Aura levels and down the mountain, he made up his mind.

"Come here." he said with an extended hand. The girl quickly took it and he looked down. "No matter what happens, don't let go."

"What are you doing?" the girl asked.

The Mandalorian responded by wrapping another arm around her and jumping off the cliff.

The girl began to scream in fear as a sharp rock approached closer and closer. The Mandalorian used his Semblance to teleport at a smoother piece of the mountain and jump again.

After the process repeated two more times, the child started to enjoy what was happening, the wind blowing in her face and the constant change of surroundings gave her a rush of excitement and she started to laugh.

The ground was closer as Djarin made another jump. Before he could teleport again, a gray light around his body shattered. His Aura had been used up and he hit the surface of the mountain.

"Hold on!" he yelled as the duo slid down the rest of the way. They came to an abrupt halt as they hit the ground and flew back a few feet.

Djarin quickly recovered and saw the girl lying a few feet from her. Standing up and walking to her, Djarin saw the girl kneel and continue to laugh. This wasn't the first time Djarin tried something like this, he was used to relying on his Semblance to get out of tricky situations. But the sight of the girl enjoying herself brought a small smile to his face and caused a small laugh to escape his throat.

"Not too bad, huh kid?"

"No, that was-"

The girl couldn't finish her sentence as she vomited on the ground, the rush and constant teleporting had made her sick.

"Oh boy." Djarin said as he helped her stand.

* * *

The duo began to walk towards the woods, back to Pietro's cabin. The Mandalorian stopped at the edge of the trees and sat down. The scratch on his arm from the bullet began to hurt more than it did before. Without his Aura to heal him, the Mandalorian would have to use a different method. So, he removed a bottle of aloe and a small prod from his belt and got to work. The prod was supposed to seal the wound, but it didn't seem to be working at the moment.

"I..." a voice began but stopped. Djarin looked up to see the girl approach him with an extended hand. "I can help."

"Unless you have a new tool like this, I don't think so." Djarin replied as he continued to try to heal his cut.

The girl kneeled and placed her hand on his arm. "This...might burn."

Djarin could feel his arm begin to slightly burn at her touch. After a few seconds, the girl let go to reveal a cauterized wound. She took the aloe and gently rubbed it on his arm, the pain slowly fading.

"...Your Semblance?" Djarin assumed.

"I can heat things just by touching them." she replied.

Djarin looked at his arm, impressed by her work. "Thank you."

The girl quickly stood up, a serious face staring into the Mandalorian's visor. "Now that I helped you, I have a demand."

"What?" Djarin asked in confusion. The situation had changed drastically.

"You won't send me back. You're taking me wherever you go."

"...I don't think you're in the position to make demands." he slowly stood up.

"But I helped you! That's how it works, right? I help you, you help me."

"I think you're forgetting about me saving you from the droid."

"..."

The girl slowly lowered her head, a tear hitting the ground.

"...You're sending me back, aren't you?"

Djarin sat back down. "I don't have a good reason to. Not yet, anyways."

The girl looked at him as he gestured her to sit. As she sat down, Djarin spoke again. "What's your name?"

"I don't...I don't have one." she answered.

"The people at the hotel have to call you **something**."

"Other than 'girl'...they call me 'Cinder'. As a joke."

"A joke?"

"The Madame...doesn't give me a bed to sleep. I sleep by the fireplace for warmth. Her daughters called me 'Cinder' after finding me covered in the ash and cinders from the fireplace."

"Doesn't sound very funny."

"It's **not**." Another tear fell down her face.

"Can I call you that?" Djarin asked.

The girl took a moment to consider the idea, and she slowly nodded.

"How old are you, Cinder?"

"Ten."

"Last question: how did a ten year old girl happen to find her way from Atlas to Vale in only a day?"

* * *

_"...Without you...I am nothing."_

_The Madame of the hotel lowered the remote and began to walk away from Cinder, whose neck was still burning._

_"Get back to your chores." she ordered. "The fourth floor looks filthy."_

_Cinder sadly took her bucket and brush where she left it last. She would clean the muddy footprints her stepsisters made later, the Madame wanted the fourth floor cleaned._

_As she exited the elevator and began to clean, Cinder's mind was focused on the armored man who entered the lobby. Everyone, including herself, was in a trance when he walked to the desk. Most of the patrons looked at him with fear and suspicion. Cinder was filled with wonder at the sight. He seemed to be the type of man who had something incredible: freedom. He could go wherever he wanted, do whatever he wanted, and nobody would stand in his way._

_Her thoughts returned to the floor when she hit a foot with her brush._

_"You're in the way." she said. When the feet refused to move, Cinder looked up to speak again. Her jaw dropped and she gasped at the sight of the armored hunter. Her heart rate increased when he lowered himself to her level. Before she could say anything, he took her shock collar and examined the circuitry with his hands._

_"It won't hurt you anymore." he said as he dropped the crystal. "Fake a reaction when she activates it again."_

_With that, the man left and Cinder looked at her crystal. As she wondered what he did to it, Cinder realized the only way to know for sure was to test it._

_After she finished the fourth floor and the muddy footprints, Cinder began to dust a small glass statue on a table. Seeing the Madame approach her, Cinder lightly dusted the statue and gestured to the Madame. Realizing that she would be displeased once her finger ran up the statue, Cinder remembered the man's words while bracing herself for pain._

_The Madame pressed the button and saw Cinder spasm for a moment. Coldly smiling and walking away, the Madame was oblivious to the fact that the collar didn't hurt her servant._

_Cinder was amazed. The shock collar gave off its light and sound, but she felt no pain. A smile ran up her face as she felt grateful for the man's gift. He freed her from part of the suffering she faced every day. She could make a mistake at any time and the Madame couldn't hurt her._

_In fact...there was nothing to stop Cinder from leaving. No collar, no consequences._

_Looking back and realizing the Madame and her daughters were nowhere to be seen, Cinder rushed to the door and continued to run away from the hotel._

_She stopped running after a minute and marveled at the sight of Atlas. The buildings, the people, the technology. It was all new and amazing to Cinder. She never left the hotel, never got to see how beautiful the city was. But the beauty of Atlas was nothing in comparison to the freedom Cinder felt._

_Tears flowed down her cheeks as she spun around, embracing the feeling of finally walking the streets. She didn't care who saw or who talked about a strange little girl running and playing in the streets. Nothing could take this feeling from her._

_And it only got better when she saw the armored man from before walking towards a building._

_She followed him to a hanger and saw him talking to a mechanic outside a large ship. Cinder realized that the man might be leaving Atlas. And if she played her cards right, she could go with him._

_After she snuck by the two, Cinder went inside a lower part of the ship. It took off not long after she got comfortable, and she got a good look out the window as Atlas became smaller and smaller. She was free._

* * *

"So you snuck onto my ship and left not long after I did?" Djarin calmly assumed, impressed that a young girl had managed to sneak past him and hide away on his ship.

"I got hungry after you left." Cinder replied. "I found an apple tree not far from your ship and ate up there. Before I could climb down, a Grimm was circling the base, leaving me trapped. I must have been up there for hours before she found me."

"Lila Birch."

Cinder nodded and pointed back to the mountain. "She took me up there and gave me a place to sleep. When you came, she hid me away and told me not to worry."

Lila was trying to protect Cinder from the hunters. Fortunately, the Mandalorian had no intention of hurting her.

"Did I give you a reason yet?" Cinder asked. "To send me back?"

"No." Djarin replied. "All I know is that you shouldn't be traveling with me." He began to walk back to the forest.

"Why not?" Cinder asked as she quickly joined him. "You can **do** whatever you want. **Go** wherever you want."

"...Not all the time."

* * *

Pietro was looking over new blueprints for a new project, since his earlier idea had failed. He put them down and looked out his window to see the Mandalorian arrive with a young girl.

He exited the cabin and sat down on the stairs. The Mandalorian said something to the girl and walked over to Pietro.

"Well, that was fast." Pietro remarked as the Mandalorian walked up to him.

"I work as quickly as possible." Djarin responded.

"I can see that. Sorry about the Grimm."

"It did its job, I wasn't hurt."

Pietro looked behind his guest to get a good look at the young girl sitting by a tree, a look of worry on his face.

"Now don't tell me **that's** who you were hunting."

"My target's dead." the Mandalorian replied. "I found the kid hiding in a cave."

"I thought you wanted your target alive. What happened?"

"A droid killed her before I could take her away."

"A droid?"

"It was hunting my target as well."

Pietro put a hand to his chin before speaking again. "I can't imagine many droids that could fly or climb. Could you describe it?"

"Thin arms and legs with a cylinder-like head. It carried two guns and was able to spin its torso around."

"I might know about something like that. Do you have it with you?"

"No, it's still on the mountain."

"Well, I could have a look at it if you bring it back."

"No need." Djarin said. "My target's dead and I have some explaining to do." Djarin began to walk towards the girl, thinking about what his client would say when he heard someone killed his target before him.

"From the sound of that, it seems you won't be rewarded." Pietro called out.

"Seems that way." Djarin turned around and responded.

Pietro reached a hand into his pocket. "Well, I could use that droid for spare parts. If you could get it for me..." he held out a few Lien from his pocket.

"I could make up for your loss."

Djarin walked over and took the money. Pietro was willing to pay 500 Lien for that droid. It wasn't Beskar, but Djarin could use the extra money.

"Alright. Is it fine if she stays with you?"

"Of course. Let me get her something to eat."

Pietro walked back inside his cabin and Djarin walked to Cinder.

"Where are we going?" she asked him.

" **I'm** going back up the mountain. Pietro wants me to bring him that droid."

"You want me to stay here?"

"That's right." Djarin replied. "If it looks important or dangerous, don't touch **anything**. I'll be back soon."

"Is there a reason I can't go?"

"Other people slow me down."

Djarin made his way back to the Razor Crest. He made it back in five minutes to see the ship right where he left it, untouched and in one piece.

And to see Cinder standing in front of the door.

"Who's slow now?" she asked with a smirk. She was out of breath, it was clear she ran back to the ship.

Djarin sighed before replying. "Oh, what the hell?" he asked himself sarcastically. "Come on."

* * *

The _Razor Crest_ landed just above the camp site, Cinder and the Mandalorian had to walk the rest of the way down.

"What were you talking about?" Cinder asked.

"What?" Djarin turned to her.

"You said you couldn't do anything you want all the time. What were you talking about?"

"When I was about your age...I swore a creed."

"What kind of 'creed'?"

"The Way of the Mandalore."

"And you chose to take it?"

"I did."

"Doesn't sound like it stops you from living your life."

"I never said it did. But there are things I can't do."

"Like what?"

"Show my face."

Cinder stopped and looked at the Mandalorian.

"No living thing has seen my face since I swore the creed. This is the Way."

He began to walk inside the cave. Cinder had one final question for him.

"Can't show it...or **won't**?"

Djarin turned back to his curious companion before continuing. "Same thing."

Djarin walked into the cave and found the droid on the ground. Picking it up by the arms, Djarin noticed it was lighter than it looked. He began to walk out but stopped when he tripped. He stopped himself from falling by quickly landing his other foot on the ground. The Mandalorian turned around to see a white curve sticking up from the ground. Before turning back, Djarin caught of glimpse of the curve...moving?

The Mandalorian lowered the droid and took a closer look at the curve, noticing the pattern of it moving up and down. He also noticed the dirt around it moving up and down. Moving the dirt, Djarin could see white curves that looked like ribs. Touching one, Djarin recognized the curve wasn't a natural stone. It felt like...bone.

He moved more dirt to see a black surface that contrasted with the natural gray ground. A red eye suddenly opened, staring at the Mandalorian.

The realization came to Djarin quickly; he was standing on top of a Grimm.

The Mandalorian wasted no time running back to the entrance of the cave, but a blow to his back pushed him the rest of the way.

Cinder saw the Mandalorian land a few feet away from the cave. She ran up to him.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

The rocks near the cave entrance exploded and shot towards the duo, who had a good look at the creature. It was standing on all fours, a large body with visible ribs. Its red eyes were right under a large horn that curved at the top of its head, a horn of bone on its head. Its mouth was oozing saliva under its large teeth.

"A Rinocer." Djarin realized. He turned back to Cinder. " **Run**."

Cinder ran back up the hill as the Grimm charged to Djarin. Before it could make contact, Djarin teleported away. The Grimm quickly stopped running when before it got close to the edge. The Mandalorian had witnessed this act, disappointed that his plan to make the Grimm run off the cliff had failed. He would have to rethink his plan of attack.

The Rinocer charged again and Djarin teleported to its side, stabbing it in the side with the electric end of his rifle. He pressed the button and a jolt of electricity ran through its body.

The electricity abruptly stopped.

Djarin remembered that his weapon suffered some damage in his fight with Lila's allies. His mistake earned him a large strike to his body, with his rifle sticking out the Grimm's side.

Djarin took out his knife and stepped to the side as the Grimm ran again. This time, Djarin sliced the beast's side with the knife, which was able to cut into the thick skin. The beast turned around and slid its lower right leg into the ground, preparing to make another attack.

Djarin ran up the the Rinocer and prepared to strike again. Before he could stab its head, the Grimm picked itself up on its lower legs. Djarin looked up at the Grimm's surprising feat of strength, but couldn't get out of the way of its other legs.

The Rinocer's feet had crushed the Mandalorian into the ground. It stomped its foot three times before pushing its prey away with its horn. If it wasn't for his Aura and Beskar, Djarin would be dead. However, as he slowly stood up again, the Mandalorian realized he couldn't use both anymore. His Aura had broken and the breastplate on his armor had broken. It was held by the stitching on the side, leaving his chest wide open.

Djarin was having trouble thinking straight. His head was pounding, his legs felt heavy as he fell to his knees. Without his rifle to disintegrate the beast and his armor or Aura to protect him, chances of winning were slim.

It seemed...chances of survival were slim as well.

And the Grimm was preparing to charge again, unfazed by any of the Mandalorian's previous attacks.

This was it. Djarin had lost. The shame he felt weighed heavier than the armor he was wearing. But he wasn't going to keel over and die. Taking out his knife and lowering his head, the Mandalorian prepared to make his final stand. The Grimm charged again, ready to finish what it started.

All the Mandalorian could do was wait. And whisper a prayer in the language of the Mandalorians.

" _Oya'cye. Kyr'am. Mare'cye. Darasuum. Ni cuy' tsikala._ "

(Life. Death. Revelation. Eternity. I am ready.)

"NO!"

A burst of fire engulfed the Grimm as it stopped its charge and roared in pain. The Mandalorian looked up to see the miracle that had saved him. Following the trail of flame, Djarin could see Cinder with her arms extended, fire erupting from her hands. It died down and the Grimm shifted its focus to the young girl.

Cinder retaliated by creating a gust of wind that sent the Grimm close to the Mandalorian, who took the opportunity to stab it in the head.

The Rinocer let out one more roar of pain and defiance, before falling to the ground and turning to dust. It's killer stood victorious over his kill and turned to the girl who saved his life.

"Good...good job." Cinder said with a smile.

She fell to the ground.

* * *

"She'll be fine, just needs rest."

The Mandalorian was sitting in Pietro's living room. He brought the droid back, but Djarin was more concerned about the girl who passed out after saving his life.

"Tell me again what happened. It seems strange for a girl her age to have such a powerful Semblance."

"No, Pietro. I told you, it wasn't her Semblance." Djarin said. "That power, whatever it is, used to belong to my target."

"How can you tell?"

"Cinder was able to...summon elemental powers from her hands. But she told me her real Semblance can heat anything she touches."

"Are you sure her Semblance didn't just **evolve**?"

"It didn't. There was something else that happened. Her eyes were...on fire. Just like my target's eyes were when she attacked us."

Pietro scratched his head as he took in what the Mandalorian had told him. "This is...oh boy. I might need to think about this some more."

Djarin walked over to Pietro's workbench and examined the droid. "What can you tell me about this droid?"

"Well, let's see."

Pietro plugged a wire into the droid's chest and plugged the other end into his computer. After typing on his keyboard for a few seconds, Pietro studied the screen.

"This is old. Seems to be...oh, I see."

"What is it?" Djarin asked as he approached the computer.

"This droid appears to be an IG unit." Pietro replied, his eyes glued to the screen.

"IG?"

" **I** nmate **G** uardian. This is a prison security droid."

"You've heard of them?"

"I have. It was part of a project to replace humans and Atlesian Knights as security for prison and Dust transports. One of the droids malfunctioned and started killing every inmate in a high security prison. It killed twenty inmates and ten guards before they could shut it down. Before the project was terminated, fifteen units were built."

"What unit was this one?"

"This was unit...eleven."

"Can you find out who sent it here?"

Pietro pressed more keys on the board and looked at the screen.

"All I can see are its orders, I can't see who programmed it. Let me try accessing its memory logs." Pietro pressed more keys and the screen turned to a dirt path. The screen continued to move until it reached a camp site. The same camp site Lila Birch was at before she died.

"No good." Djarin said. "This was the time the droid and I met."

Pietro turned the screen off and the Mandalorian walked over to IG-11.

"What are you thinking, Mando?" Pietro asked.

"There isn't much I can do now." Djarin realized. He suddenly remembered something the client gave him and he moved his hand around his belt. He took out the card the client had given him. "Except call my client."

"I'll give you some privacy." Pietro left the room and went to go check on Cinder.

A blue screen activated from Djarin's gauntlet and he entered the client's phone number. It rang twice before someone answered.

" _Greetings, bounty hunter. I have to admit, I was expecting to hear from you sooner._ "

"...I would imagine so." Djarin replied. "It's been a busy few hours. And...I have bad news."

" _Let me guess; you want to tell me that Lila Birch was killed by an old IG unit?_ "

Djarin's eyes grew wide with surprise under his helmet. He was expecting the client to be disappointed and cancel his reward. This was the last thing the Mandalorian expected to hear.

"How do you know that?" he quickly asked.

" _Never mind that. I also understand a young girl was at the scene of your battle?_ "

"...She was."

" _Then I have good news for you, Mandalorian. If you bring that girl to me, I'm willing to reward you in the same way I would have if you brought Lila Birch. And a bonus for your inconvenience with the droid. You know where to find me._ "

The call ended.

Djarin was dumbfounded by the news.

The surprise he received made him oblivious to the presence of a certain girl who had heard the final part of his call.


	4. The Return

"So that's it?"

Djarin turned around to see Cinder standing behind him.

"Cinder. I-"

"You're just giving me away?" Cinder asked with anger in her voice.

"It's not like that." he replied calmly. "I was sent here to bring him Lila. I think I know why he wants you now."

"So do I." Cinder's hands balled into fists, her nails digging into her skin. "You're sending me back to the hotel, aren't you? That's why you're being paid."

"No, you don't understand. I-"

"Stop lying to me!"

Djarin saw her eyes begin to flame again, just like she did on the mountain. It seemed this power came to her when anger was present. It was directed at the Rinocer at first. Now Djarin was about to suffer the girl's wrath.

"Cinder, listen to me. You can't be angry. Just let me-"

"Why not?!" Cinder yelled. "Why can't I be angry?!"

She suddenly began to levitate off the ground, but she didn't even notice.

"Cinder, listen to me!"

"No, **you** listen! I spent **years** working and suffering at my so called 'home'. Now, when I finally have a way to get out of it, you want to send me back just to make some easy money?!"

"It's not like that! I know how you've suffered, and-"

"YOU DON'T KNOW HOW I'VE SUFFERED!" Cinder yelled as her eyes burned brighter. She jabbed her finger in the Mandalorian's direction as she continued her tirade. "What gives you the right to say that?! And what gives you the right to tell me I can't be angry?!"

A ball of fire launched from her hand and barely missed the Mandalorian. The fire destroyed the door to Pietro's cabin instead.

Cinder covered her mouth in shock at the sudden act of destruction. It was at that moment she realized she was flying. She suddenly began to panic as she fell to the ground, her eyes still aflame.

The Mandalorian saw a small mirror on Pietro's workbench. Grabbing it and holding it in front of Cinder, Djarin began to explain. "This...is why I didn't want you getting angry." he explained calmly. Cinder looked closer into the mirror, observing the fire coming out of her eyes.

"What...what is it?" Cinder asked.

"I don't know." the Mandalorian replied honestly. "All I know is that the woman who saved you could do the exact same thing. And use the same powers you just did. And I think-"

"What is going on out here?!" Djarin and Cinder turned to see Pietro walking out of the room, his jaw dropping as he saw his destroyed door. "What happened to my door?" he asked.

Cinder tried to explain her mistake, but couldn't form a sentence. "I...it was...I didn't mean..."

She suddenly ran out of the house. Djarin immediately gave chase. It wasn't hard to follow Cinder, the Mandalorian's thermal vision was able to find her in the dark forest.

"Cinder, stop!" he pleaded.

"Leave me alone!" she yelled back.

As she passed by a tree, Cinder failed to see one of its large root in her path. Tripping and falling on the ground, Cinder began to cry. The Mandalorian lowered himself to her level.

"I'm...I'm sorry." Cinder said as more tears fell down her face.

"It's okay." the Mandalorian replied.

Cinder looked at her hands, the events from earlier playing in her mind. "I don't like this."

"Neither do I." Djarin admitted. "We'll figure this out."

"How?"

"My client wanted Lila for a reason. The fact that you have her...power...and now he wants to see you can't be a coincidence. I think he can help you."

"Really?"

"He wants to meet me again, at the _Glass Unicorn_. He's not going to give you back to your guardian, he's just a guest there. But if you don't want to go, we can meet somewhere else."

"...I'll go."

Djarin stood up and extended a hand to Cinder, which she slowly took and came off the ground. He led her back to Pietro's cabin to explain the situation. He was waiting outside.

"Is she alright?" Pietro quickly asked.

"She's fine." Djarin answered. "Sorry about the door."

"It's no problem, I can fix it." Pietro turned to Cinder. "Sorry for scaring you."

"It's...it's okay." Cinder replied, staring at the ground.

Djarin turned back to Pietro. "We're leaving."

"Well, good luck to you. And thanks for the droid."

* * *

The Mandalorian and Cinder were standing outside the _Glass Unicorn_. It was 11:00 in the evening. Cinder was taking deep breaths as she began to walk up to the door. Before she opened it, Djarin placed a hand on hers.

"We can meet somewhere else." he reassured her. "I'll understand."

Cinder took a look at the door. "I can do this." she bravely declared.

She opened the door and walked inside with her companion. They both heard laughter coming from behind them as soon as they walked in. Turning around, they came face-to-face with two girls older than Cinder. One was a brunette whose long hair reached behind her head, wearing a white shirt, a black headband, and gray jeans. The other was a blonde with a black headband in her curly hair, wearing a long gray skirt under her shirt. They were both had a look of sadistic glee on their faces.

"Well...look who's here." the brunette said.

"Mom's been wanting to talk to you." the blonde said with a smirk.

Cinder held her neck, afraid of what the Madame would do once they were alone. Her fears, however, were cast aside when the Mandalorian stepped in front of her.

"I'm taking her to my client." he said.

The blonde dropped her smile and walked towards the elevator. "He's waiting for you. Follow me."

Djarin already knew the way to room 467. He had a feeling the girls knew that too. They just wanted to see what would happen to Cinder. As the exited the elevator, the blonde led the Mandalorian and Cinder to the room. The brunette pushed Cinder behind her back, causing the young girl to stumble.

"Slowpoke." she said as she joined her sister, who was giggling in her hand.

"Easy with her." Djarin warned.

The brunette turned back. "Don't tell me what to do."

The group stopped as the blonde knocked on the door to room 467.

"Enter." the client's voice said.

The blonde opened the door and they all walked inside. The settings were similar to when the Mandalorian first entered the room. The robots were in the same position and the client was sitting at his table. The only difference, however, was the Madame standing next to him, staring at Cinder.

The client got up and walked up to Cinder, holding a device in his hand. Pressing a button, a red light shined in Cinder's face. She closed her eyes to avoid the light burning her eyes. "Very healthy." he said as he put the tool in his pocket. "And this is the one I'm looking for."

"You know what happened to her." Djarin said.

"That piece of scrap metal showed me."

Djarin realized he was talking about IG-11.

"You knew the droid would be there."

"Not quite. I learned it had been activated by someone and I was curious as to where it was going. I hacked into its visual processors as it carried out its mission. I could only observe its actions, not control it."

"You couldn't stop it."

"I tried everything, but to no avail." he responded. He turned his eyes to Cinder. "But that's not important."

"...You can help her?"

The client turned back to the Mandalorian. "How uncharacteristic of one of your...reputation. Is it not the code of the Guild that these events are now forgotten?"

Cinder spoke up. "He's my...friend."

The girls laughed when they heard this. All eyes in the room landed on them.

"Who'd want to be friends with **you**?" the blonde asked.

"That's something I can't understand." her sister included.

It was at that moment Djarin lost his patience with the girls.

"You understand **this**?!"

He raised his arm and his flamethrower activated. The girls screamed as they dropped to the floor, narrowly avoiding the fire that scorched the wall. The robots armed themselves and the Madame grabbed his arm. The client simply sat down and smiled.

"You son of a bitch!" the woman yelled as the Mandalorian turned off his weapon. "Are you out of your mind?!"

"Maybe it would be best if your girls wait outside." the client said as he waved his hand at the robots. They lowered their guns and the woman turned to the client. "We're almost done here."

The Madame turned to her scared daughters. "Go downstairs." she ordered. The girls immediately ran out the door.

"You're right about the code of the Guild." Djarin said to the client. "These events are to be forgotten once I receive commission...and payment."

The client stood up as he reached below his desk. The Mandalorian slowly put his hand over his pistol, but let go as he saw two large briefcases. The client opened them both to reveal a large amount of Beskar. "This is including the inconvenience for the droid." he said. Such a large bounty for such a small package." The client turned to the Atlesian Knights. "Take her outside."

The robots walked over to Cinder. Before she left with them, Cinder reached for her neck and tore off her shock collar. She handed it the Mandalorian, who looked it over. "In case I don't see you again." she said. "I won't be needing it anymore."

The robots began to walk out of the room, Cinder following them.

"...Good luck." the Mandalorian said.

Cinder looked back at him and smiled, a tear falling down her cheek.

"Get out." the woman said to the Mandalorian. "And I suggest not coming back."

The Mandalorian didn't need to be told twice. He vanished without a trace. Before she left the room as well, the client slid a few Lien her way.

"I haven't forgotten our deal." he said, referring to the fact that the woman wanted to be paid for losing her only servant.

She looked at the Lien and smiled. "Pleasure doing business with you, Doctor Watts." she said.

"Likewise." he said as he left the room. Before the Madame joined him, she got a good look at the scorch mark on the wall. It wouldn't cost much to repaint the wall, but the loss of her servant would need to be dealt with soon.

She counted her money again and again as she entered the elevator, her wide smile displaying her greed. As the Madame exited the elevator, she saw her daughters were waiting by the front desk.

"Mom, Cinder and that bounty hunter are gone." the brunette one said. "But something happened."

"Did he hurt you?" the woman asked calmly.

"No." the girl replied.

"Did he vandalize the lobby?"

"No." the blonde replied.

"Then what happened?"

The girls answered simultaneously. "He stole something."

The Madame immediately looked under her desk, where she stored her Lien. But it didn't look like any of the money was missing.

She looked back at her daughters. "What did he steal?"

The girls pointed at a vase at the side of the room. The Madame had placed a bouquet of lily flowers in the vase earlier. They were gone.

* * *

**Years ago**

_"It's a beautiful night, buddy. You sure you don't wanna come out?"_

_A teenage girl was looking inside a horse-drawn carriage at a young boy wearing a red hood. He turned away from his book and looked at the girl._

_"No thanks, Ikki. I like it here."_

_Young Din Djarin was with his mother and sister at the moment, traveling with others from Mantle. Ikki had finally managed to save enough money from her job to afford an airship to the continent of Sanus. Now, they were traveling to the kingdom of Vale, where they would all make a fresh start. Starting with Din._

_Ikki knew her brother had a fear of the dark. He told her he never felt alone when he was in a dark room, that someone or something was always watching. He was currently reading near a lantern, away from the dark woods. Ikki always hated seeing him afraid, but she hated it more when he wasn't living his life to the fullest._

_So, she decided to change that._

_"You'll like it even better out here." she said as she grabbed his arm._

_"Wait! What are you doing?"_

_"I want to show you something." Ikki said. She led her brother past the two men who were standing guard and went into the woods._

_"Ikki, I really don't like this." Djarin said._

_"I know, but trust me. You'll like what you see."_

_After a few minutes, Ikki stopped at a pond. She led her little brother to the side and he got a good look. The water was capturing what little light the stars were giving off. As the boy was entranced by the sight, he failed to notice Ikki wave her arm across the grass._

_He spun his head around as he heard the noise, and dropped his jaw at the sight of dozens of fireflies around his younger sister._

_"Pretty cool, huh?" Ikki said._

_"Yeah." Din said as he waved his hand through the air._

_"See? Things don't look so scary now, do they?" The boy shook his head. She then kneeled down to Din._

_"Din, I brought you out here because I want to ask you something." Ikki began. "I promised things would be different for us, but I want you to promise me the same thing."_

_"What do you mean?" he asked._

_"I want you to be happy here, I want to make this a new start for all of us. Look what happened when you let go of your fear; you found a light at the end of the tunnel. No matter where you go, no matter what happens, there's always a light at the end of the tunnel. Now it's time for you to find that light on your own. Live your life to the fullest and find the light, no matter what kind of trouble you're in."_

_"...There's always a light?"_

_Ikki smiled. "Always."_

_Din nodded and hugged his sister, who eagerly returned the hug._

_"AAAAAAHHHH!"_

_A loud scream caused the siblings to let go and turn in the direction of the scream._

_They ran back towards the camp and stopped in their tracks. A pack of Beowolves had managed to sneak into their camp and attack the unsuspecting group._

_"Oh, my God." Ikki said as she covered her mouth._

_"Grimm." Din whispered._

_"IKKI! DIN!"_

_The siblings turned to see their mother run up to them._

_"We need to get out of here, follow me!" the woman ordered._

_"But-" Djarin began. The woman grabbed her son and started running down a path with Ikki following her._

_"Mom, we can't be out in the open like this!" Ikki said._

_"We'll find help!" she explained. "There should be a town around here, right?"_

_"Not for another five miles! We can't-!"_

_A Beowolf landed in front of them and swiped its hand at the trio, slightly cutting Ikki's arm. Seeing no other choice, the women ran into the woods, hoping to lose the Grimm in the tall trees. As they stopped running and looked around, Ikki held her arm._

_"Are you alright?" her mother asked._

_"It's nothing." she replied, lying about the pain in her arm. In all honesty, it felt like a cheese grater had just sliced her arm and she was pretty sure it cut her bone. It was hard to keep back her tears. But she had something else on her mind. "How's Din?" she asked._

_The boy was still in his mother's arms, tears falling down his cheeks. The women heard a howl and a growl not far from them. Ikki and her mother looked at each other, understanding their situation well. They were lost, being hunted by monsters, and there was no civilization for miles._

_They were doomed._

_But not all of them had to die._

_"Mom, come here." Ikki ran to a tree and moved a few leaves, revealing a hole large enough to hide one person. The women knew exactly who that hole was meant for._

_Din's mother lowered her son and looked into his eyes. "Din...sweetheart...go in the hole." The boy did as he was told, and his family began to put the leaves back on. He stopped them._

_"What...what are you doing?" he asked. Ikki kneeled to his level._

_"We're...we're going to get help." she lied. "We need you to stay here. The Grimm won't see you."_

_"I'll go with you."_

_"Sweetheart, we need you to stay here." his mother replied._

_"But I wanna help."_

_The woman smiled as a tear fell down her cheek. "You can help. Just stay here and don't move."_

_"I...I can't!" Din started to cry even more. "I'm scared."_

_Ikki began to put more leaves on her brother. "So am I, buddy. But listen. Everything's going to be fine, as long as you stay absolutely still. Trust me."_

_Din began to move back into the tree, as the two put more leaves on him. A low growl caused them to move even faster. Before they left to let the Grimm follow them, far away from the scared little boy, Ikki whispered a promise to him._

_"We love you, Din."_

_The two ran as fast as they could, with the sound of paws not far behind them._

_Din continued to cry, unsure of where his family was or what was going on. He couldn't remember a time when he felt so lost and alone. And the worst part was that Ikki wasn't there to comfort him. All he could do was think about what Ikki had told him earlier, how there was always a light at the end of the tunnel. And he prayed that she was right._

_The silence of the forest was broken by the sound of gunfire._

_Din exited his tree and could still hear the gunfire. But he couldn't see anyone. A roar from behind caused the boy to fall to his feet and turn around, facing a Beowolf ready to pounce._

_It disintegrated and revealed an armored warrior staring down at the child with an extended hand. Djarin took it, and the Mandalorian took off in the air with his jetpack, carrying the new Foundling home._

_Din Djarin had found the light at the end of his tunnel. Or more accurately, it found him_.

* * *

**Present day**

The Mandalorian found himself in the middle of a forest. The time he spent with Cinder, helping her and doing his best to comfort her when she was scared, it reminded him of something he needed to do. Something he hadn't done for a while. Something that weighed on his mind just as heavy as Cinder's current whereabouts.

**[Play 'Transient Life (Romei)' on YouTube]**

Still holding the briefcases and the flowers he took from the _Glass Unicorn_ , Djarin walked over to a tall oak tree, its dead leaves covering the ground. He knelt down and placed his items to the side as he began to move the leaves. The cleared space revealed a granite headstone with a name carved into it.

_Ikki Djarin._

Some time after Djarin was found by the Mandalorians, he had returned to the site where his life changed forever. He found the destroyed carriage, the rotten supplies of food that had been left behind, but more importantly, Djarin found one body. The only one that wasn't devoured by the Grimm. His sister. After he gave her the burial she deserved, the Mandalorian purchased a headstone, carved her name into it, and placed it over her grave.

Removing his helmet, Djarin removed the remains of the old flowers he left once upon a time and replaced them with the new ones. He lowered his head as he silently paid his respects to the sister he loved. The Mandalorians, specifically the Children of the Watch, became his family after he became a Foundling. They taught him everything he knew, trained him to be the man he is, and welcomed him, a mere outsider, with open arms.

But Djarin couldn't simply forget about the family he lost. Doing so would be an insult to their memory, to all the love and help they gave to him. And Ikki...she meant too much to him. When she died, a small part of him felt hollow. Empty.

He had mostly recovered from the trauma as he grew older, and he willingly accepted the Mandalorians as his new brothers and sisters. But the hole in Djarin's heart never filled again. It probably never would. Djarin accepted this as a constant part of his life and learned to live with the pain of losing his only sibling. It started to become numb as time passed.

But he still had his bad days.

Standing up, the Mandalorian placed his helmet back on and picked up the cases. Taking one last look at the grave, Djarin saw a Beowolf approach it and sniff the headstone.

He shot it without hesitation and watched it disappear.

"Good to see you again, Ikki."

He vanished.

**[End music]**

* * *

The Mandalorian had returned to his village and was greeted by the same two guards. However, they began to follow him once he crossed the gate. The Mandalorians that saw their returning brother began to follow him as well.

Djarin had unknowingly became the talk of the town. His new pauldron had caught the attention of everyone. They knew Beskar was very rare, and that he had somehow managed to find some on his own. If he was returning with more, this was something they had to see.

The Armorer was kneeling in front of her furnace, in a meditative state. Her attention shifted to the two briefcases of Beskar Djarin placed before her.

As he sat down, more Mandalorians approached behind him, getting a good look at his reward.

"This amount can be shaped many ways." the Armorer observed. "And for many others."

"My armor has lost its integrity, I may need to begin again." Djarin requested.

"Indeed. I can form a full cuirass, this would be in order for your station."

The Mandalorians whispered among themselves, slightly excited about the chance to see a full suit of Mandalorian armor being made.

"That...would be a great honor." Djarin replied.

A hand placed itself on Djarin's shoulder. He looked up to see an orange and white Mandalorian patting his shoulder, congratulating him for his success. His name was Sun Jabbid, one of the first friends Djarin made when he was found by the Mandalorians.

"This is a generous amount, Djarin." he said. "It will spawn many Foundlings."

"Good." Djarin replied. "I was once a Foundling."

"So was I." He patted his shoulder again.

The Beskar had drawn many eyes. But not all of them were welcoming.

A large Mandalorian in blue armor with a few dents on it picked up one of the ingots. The first thing that caught his eye was the Atlesian symbol.

"These were cast in an Atlesian smelter." he angrily said. "These are the spoils of the Great War, the reason we live hidden like sewer rats."

The Armorer paid no attention to the Mandalorian's speech as she continued to organize the Beskar.

Jabbid spoke up. "Our secrecy is our survival. Our survival is our strength."

"Our strength was once in our numbers. Now we live in the woods and only come out one at a time." the large one continued. This Mandalorian had heard the stories of Mandalore the Great, how its people stood together against its foes. He took the stories to heart and was determined to show the world the strength of the Mandalorians. He looked back to Djarin and spoke again. "Our true home was turned to sand by Atlas' ancestors, whose descendants this coward shares tables with!"

This deal was a great offense to the large Mandalorian. One he wouldn't take lying down.

He grabbed Djarin's helmet and pulled, causing Djarin to grab his hands in retaliation. The large one pulled Djarin up and Djarin punched his exposed parts. Letting go, the large one backed against a wall as Djarin pulled out his knife. He slashed at his opponent's chest, but the Beskar blocked his attacks.

The large one grabbed both of his hands and they began a struggling match. It ended when they let go and placed their knives at each other's throats. Jabbid pulled out his knife and pointed it at the large one's throat as well.

"The kingdoms of old are no longer." the Armorer said as they froze. She stood up as she continued. "And the Beskar has returned."

The combatants didn't stand down.

"When one chooses to walk the Way of the Mandalore, you are both Hunter and Prey. How can one be a coward when one chooses this way of life?"

Nobody lowered their blades. The Armorer decided to test Djarin.

"Have you ever removed your helmet?" she asked.

"No." Djarin replied.

"Has it ever been removed by others?"

"Never."

"This is the Way."

"This is the Way." every Mandalorian confirmed. This time, everyone removed their blades.

"...This is the Way." the large one said as he left.

The Armorer noticed the extensive damage to Djarin's armor. "What caused this damage?" she asked.

"A Rinocer." he replied.

"A notable kill. You have earned the Rinocer as your signet. I shall craft it."

"I can't accept." Djarin refused calmly. "It wasn't a noble kill. I was helped by...someone."

"An enemy?"

"...No."

"...Since you forgo a signet, perhaps whistling birds will be in order."

"Whistling birds will do well. Reserve some for the Foundlings."

"As it should always be. The Foundlings are the future. This is the Way."

The group responded again. "This is the Way."

Djarin was last. "This is the Way."

As the Armorer prepared to forge Djarin's new armor, Jabbid tapped his shoulder. "You dropped this." he said, holding something in his hand. Djarin looked to see that he was holding Cinder's necklace. He took it without a word.

* * *

"I told you I'm not interested in your excuses."

"Come on, just hear me out!"

"You had your shot, mutt, but you failed. No bounties for you, now get outta here!"

"Fine. I don't need your racist ass anyways."

Greef Karga took a sip of his drink as the Faunus bounty hunter walked away. He wasn't happy to hear that one of his hunters failed, it was a blemish on his record. But he didn't have to worry about that. He would be living like a king soon enough. And the reason for this had just entered the bar.

All of the patrons' eyes landed on a Mandalorian with newly forged armor. If one looked close enough at each patron, they could see that their eyes were green with envy. Karga on the other hand, was more than pleased.

"Ah, Mando!" Karga greeted his friend with a smile. The bounty hunter stood still, looking at Karga. But Karga had his eyes on the other bounty hunters in the bar, who were having a jealous look at the Mandalorian's armor. "They all hate you, Mando. Because you're a legend!"

Djarin replied with a question. "How many of them had tracking fobs?" He was starting to have an idea about IG-11's presence, but he needed confirmation.

Karga scoffed before he answered. "All of them. **All** of them! But not one of them closed the deal. Only you, Mando. Only you. And with it, the richest reward this parsec has ever seen." Karga gestured to the empty seat across from him. "Please, sit my friend."

"..."

The Mandalorian removed his rifle and sat across from Karga as he continued to relish in his exploits. "They're all weighing the Beskar in their minds, but not me." he claimed. "No. I, for one, I celebrate your success. Because it is my success as well. Hell..." Karga waited for the patrons to turn away so he could show the Mandalorian his finder's fee: a few pieces of Beskar. "...even I'm rich."

"..."

The Mandalorian wasn't impressed. Clearing his throat and putting the Beskar away, Karga spoke again. "So, what brings you here?"

"I want my next job." the Mandalorian replied.

"Already?" Karga asked. "Come on Mando, enjoy yourself! Have a drink, live a little. I could take you to that place I've told you about! The humans and Faunus there are the best."

"My next job." the Mandalorian requested again.

Karga sighed as he took out his Scroll. "Alright, take your pick. You earned it."

Djarin looked at the new photos Karga had. The bounties came to him naturally when news about his involvement with the Mandalorian reached the right people of the Bounty Hunter's Guild. Djarin pressed a photo of a grinning man with yellow eyes and brown hair in a ponytail.

"A homicidal maniac in Anima." Karga noticed. "That's a good one. Dangerous, but good."

"I'll take it." the Mandalorian said.

"One more thing." Karga pulled out a card and handed it to the Mandalorian. "Check in with the Mistral police force before you go hunting."

The Mandalorian stood up and took the card. Just as he was able to leave, his eyes landed on a news report.

" _We have just received confirmation of a freak accident in Atlas this afternoon as General James Ironwood prepared to demonstrate the newest arsenal of the Atlesian military. The machine known as the 'Paladin' malfunctioned and left the entrance to Atlas Academy demolished. Witnesses say that the only known fatality was Doctor Arthur Watts, one of Atlas' finest minds. The accident occurred at 2:30 today, with the General saying..._ "

The rest of the report faded away as Djarin got a good look at the picture of Watts the news was showing. A million questions ran in his mind as he observed that Watts was the client who gave him the job, who was supposed to have Cinder. The one thing that stood out was the time of death; 2:30 in the afternoon. When Djarin made the exchange, it was 11:00 at night. Something wasn't right. And Cinder might be in trouble.

"What was he going to do with her?" Djarin asked.

"With who?" Karga asked as he took a sip of his drink.

"The girl."

"I didn't ask. It's against the Guild Code."

"That doesn't answer my question, Greef."

Karga put his drink down and stared at the Mandalorian. "This is unlike you, my friend."

"What was he going to do with her?"

"Look, what's done is done. There's no sense in thinking about going back there. Trust me, once you get to Mistral, you'll forget all about it. Besides...there's a bounty out there with your name on it."

Djarin realized he was getting nowhere with Karga. So he left the bar and began to walk the streets, thinking about his current mission. Maybe Karga was right, he had more important things to do. One of them being the job he needed to do.

He reached into his belt as he fished for the card Karga gave him. He found it...but he also found something else. He took out the card...and Cinder's necklace.

She was out there somewhere, with a man who faked his own death. Djarin didn't know why Watts did this, but if he was wanted the public to think he was dead...he wasn't up to anything good. And Djarin had roped a young girl in this man's plans.

He looked back at the card.

Then back at the necklace.

The card.

The necklace.

The card?

Or the necklace?

The hunt?

Or Cinder?

Djarin lowered both, he had made up his mind.

He vanished.


End file.
